How Much Does a Steel Roof Cost?

Trying to figure out how much a steel roof costs? Here are some important considerations to take into account when trying to estimate the cost of installing a steel roof.

Different types of steel roofing

Why would anyone get a steel roof?  The answer to that question guides the decision-making process.  It might be for aesthetics.  It might be for durability.  It might be for cost-effectiveness. It might be to match an existing or to-be-built building style.

Let’s consider what is meant by a “steel” roof.  There are various products that can be defined as steel, which may be installed on a roof.  The broad categories are as follows:

1. Natural steel – commonly known as “cold-rolled”, which will rust when exposed to water
2. Bonderized steel – which has a chemical formulation that resists rusting, but which also makes the metal darker in color
3. Galvalume – meaning a zinc and/or aluminum alloy has been applied to the metal, to make it resistant to rust.  Commonly, this is referred to as G60 or G90, depending on the thickness of the galvanizing product.  This has a soft grayish appearance
4. Zincalume – meaning a zinc, silicone and aluminum alloy is bonded to the steel.  This generally has a shiny and bright steel appearance
5. Baked enamel – a durable coating that is applied to primered steel and then heated to cure, providing a long-lasting finish.  An example is siliconized modified polyester (SMP)
6. Powder coat – quite often Kynar, a durable finish based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resin, which is bonded to metal in a multi-layer system

Steel roofing finishes

Each type of surface provides different appearances and levels of durability to the roof system installed.  In addition to the steel products noted, there is also the question of the desired profile.  Profile refers to the look of the installed product, or maybe a better term would be appearance.  When looking at the installed product, does it have a repeating pattern of angles and flat, up-and-down undulation, or vertical and flat.  These profiles are noted as:

1. PBR, or other tray profiles
2. Corrugated
3. Standing seam

PBR or other tray

The PBR profile is typically the least costly option.  This profile, or variants thereof, is commonly installed on lower-grade commercial structures, perhaps industrial buildings, pole barns, storage facilities or other similar structures. 

Corrugated

Corrugated, or a variant thereof, would be considered to be mid-grade, and is commonly installed on buildings with a more rustic appearance or as an accent feature on office buildings or apartment complexes. Standing seam would be the costliest. 

Standing seam

Within the standing seam option, there are a number of profiles available.  Standing seam is installed on a wide variety of structures, with different profiles and colors, to enhance the appearance of the structure or draw attention to specific design features.

Costs associated with steel roofing

Now that we’ve noted the variety of finishes that may be applied to steel, and listed the standard profiles, we can consider the costs associated with steel roofing.

Factors that will be taken into account when pricing a steel roof are as follows:

1. Slope (or angle) of the roof
2. Size of the roof
3. Number of roof slopes
4. How broken up the roof is – more valleys, more hips, higher cost
5. Number of roof levels – 1 story, 2 story, etc
6. Distance to the job site from the contractor
7. Distance to the job site from the material supplier
8. The underlayment to be installed
9. Thickness of the steel – measured by gauge, with 22-ga, 24-ga and 26-ga being the most common thicknesses.  The thicker, the more costly.  As the ga number decreases, the thicker the metal
10. The category of steel to install
11. The profile of the steel roof system

In general, natural steel will be the lowest cost, with bonderized, galvanized and zincalume at the next level, then enamel, with powder coat being the costliest.  PBR, or other tray-type profiles will be the least costly profile, then corrugated, with standing seam the costliest.

Calculating the cost of a steel roof

Taking all the factors into consideration, a typical new steel roof might cost anywhere from $8.00 ft2 to $20.00 ft2.  This would not include tear-off, and assumes a standard roof slope of 4:12-6:12.  The reference x:12 means that for every 12 inches of horizontal travel, the roof rises so many inches.  This is also referred to as slope.

Many factors need to be considered when making a determination regarding whether to install a steel roof.  A properly installed steel roof will last for decades, so it’s worth taking the time to determine the desired look and materials before moving ahead.  For assistance with metal roofing, SUNVEK has been serving the Valley for over 40 years.  We’d be happy to provide a complimentary consultation regarding your roofing needs.  Call us at 623-Fix Roof (349-7663) or schedule an appointment today!